MacFarquhar's Bed

Date Added: 24 May 2003 Contributor: Colin Dunn Year: 2003 Picture No: 360

This is a shot taken recently showing the gorse in full and magnificent bloom beside the path leading down to MacFarquhar's Bed. Overgrown badly for several years and blocking the path, some kind person has cut back just enough of the encroaching gorse and brambles to allow access to this attractive beach again. For a view of what it looked like around 1900, see picture #145

Groups: McFarquhar's Bed

7 Comments

I'm glad you used the word 'brambles', how about using the word WHINS instead of gorse 'cos we are on an almost daily basis now losing fine Scottish words from our vocabulary? I have been down to the 'Bed' in the last few weeks, and I would suggest a Safety rope be fitted/installed to the hillward side of the descent, as there has been a great deal of slippage, and rock-fall in the past 60 years. When the Bothy was occupied the salmon fishers maintained the path, and rabbits(remember them?) kept the grass like a lawn. Comment left on 21 July 2005 at 17:41 by Clem Watson

Whin is Broom, not Gorse, I believe? Comment left on 07 August 2005 at 10:42 by Colin

Definitely gorse. Comment left on 07 August 2005 at 15:34 by Estelle Quick

Gorse as Whins were used as animal fodder when hay would be short. They would be crushed in a whinmill to ease chewing. Comment left on 07 August 2005 at 17:43 by Dennis Manson

Wrong Colin. Whin (in Scotland)(Ulex europaeus) known as Gorse, in England, complete with thorns. Broom(Cytisus scoparius) on the other hand has smooth stems, again the yellow flower, but an entirely different plant. I've added the Latin name to positively ident. If you are interested in Botany, you may be confusing the plant Petty Whin (Genista anglica) which belongs to the Rose family, which in turn does look like Broom, belong to the Pea family. Comment left on 07 August 2005 at 20:59 by Clem Watson

No sorry Colin. Whin is definitely the "Stabby one" honest. Comment left on 07 August 2005 at 22:07 by Mary Mackay now Harrison

Gorse is whin but whin is used in other parts of the UK too Comment left on 16 June 2017 at 21:34 by Bill Wright

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